For immediate release

Leeds gets two new Bike Libraries

People living in now have even more opportunities to ride a bike for free after two new Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries were launched.

The new bike libraries are at Seacroft Community Hub on Seacroft Crescent and at Bramley Community Hub on Hough Lane, and will offer free bike loans for adults, children and families.

The award-winning Yorkshire Bank Bike Library scheme has one simple aim: to give every child in Yorkshire access to a bike, for free.

Old and unwanted bikes can be donated at the 62 donation stations across Yorkshire, where they will be cleaned and repaired before being loaned out to children and families who don’t have bikes of their own.

Since it launched just three years ago, the scheme has gone from strength to strength and these two take the total to 49 bike libraries across the county.

The 50th library will be launched in the next month, marking an important milestone for the scheme.

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “It’s so exciting to see more bike libraries opening, as it means we’re continuing to change the lives of children in Yorkshire.

“Leeds has wholeheartedly embraced the bike library scheme and the city has more bike libraries than any other place in Yorkshire – a total of 13 – so young people in Yorkshire have plenty of opportunities to ride a bike completely free.”

Leeds City Councillor Mohammed Iqbal said: “This is a free scheme with enormous health and social benefits and I look forward to the Seacroft and Bramley Bike Libraries giving local people the opportunity to participate in cycling who might not have done so previously.”

Helen Page, Group Innovation & Marketing Director at Yorkshire Bank, said: “We are thrilled that two more Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries are opening up in Leeds. Giving more children an opportunity to have access to a bike is one of the main reasons to support this brilliant initiative. It's something we are passionate about."

Seacroft Bike Library launched on Wednesday, January 17, and Bramley Bike Library will launch on Wednesday, January 24.

The Yorkshire Bank Bike Library scheme became the first UK project to win a Peace and Sport Award last month at a ceremony in Monaco.

For more information, visit bikelibraries.yorkshire.com

ENDS

Notes to editors: • Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries is a joint project with Welcome to Yorkshire’s cycling initiative, Cycle Yorkshire and Yorkshire Bank. • Cycle Yorkshire is a partnership of Welcome to Yorkshire, local authorities and other key cycling organisations in Yorkshire committed to using Yorkshire’s Tour de France Grand Départ 2014 to deliver a region wide cycling legacy for all generations and all abilities. • Each bike library is different and all offer a range of activities, including short or long-term loans, family rides, skills training or activity sessions. • The Sport Simple Program of the Year category rewards a program which uses sport as a tool for peace, applying simplified rules that are adjusted to the specific technical level of participants and/or environment of implementation, and using sport equipment created from local or recycled material. • The annual Peace and Sport Awards recognise organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to peace, dialogue and social stability in the world through sport. • Tag Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries in coverage on Twitter and Facebook using our handles: @BikeLibraries and https://www.facebook.com/bikelibraries/

Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries Partnership Overview • Yorkshire Bank has partnered with Cycle Yorkshire to launch the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries initiative across the region. • The aim is to make cycling more accessible in Yorkshire by providing communities with bike libraries. • People are encouraged to amnesty their old bikes and drop them off at the designated donation stations. • Donated bikes will make up the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries and be available to individuals, local enterprises and community groups to borrow, so more people, young and old, can enjoy the benefits of cycling. • The partnership launched on 12 December 2014.

Yorkshire Bank Yorkshire Bank was founded in 1859 in , West Yorkshire. Yorkshire Bank is a trading name of plc, part of CYBG PLC.

For more information please contact:

Rebecca Penston – Press Officer, Welcome to Yorkshire Email: [email protected] Phone: 0113 322 3578 Mobile: 07581 575 220